How Gamification in a Mobile App Boosted Pizza Sales During the Off-Season

What happens when users get distracted by everything but an app? Why should anyone care about a product when there’s no reason to? These are the questions I often ask myself as I work with different brands.

\ It’s even tougher in the summer. The sun’s out, people are on vacation, and your app is the last thing on their minds. We saw this firsthand with a well-known pizza delivery service — their customers weren’t exactly dreaming of pepperoni between beach trips. So, how do you keep people interested when pizza isn't their priority?

\ You get creative. And by creative, I’m talking about transforming the way people interact with your brand, giving them a reason to check in just for fun. We wanted people to stay engaged and loyal, while also driving more pizza orders. To make that happen, we needed something fresh to keep them coming back.

Turning Summer into a Game

So, picture this: it’s mid-June, and you’re a pizza company. Sales are down because people are on holiday mode. What do you do? Cut prices? Send out boring email promos? Nah. Instead, they flipped the concept of the holiday advent calendar — a tradition people associate with Christmas — and dropped it into the middle of summer.

\ I know, it sounds a little wild. But that’s the point. They turned each day into a mini game. Customers would open the pizza app daily, like a digital advent calendar, and uncover two key elements behind each "door."

Game Mechanics in Action

First, a new postcard: each day featured a unique postcard, which users could collect, customize, or share with friends. These weren’t just generic images — there were three types of postcards to keep things fresh: illustrative postcards with custom designs, city-specific postcards featuring local landmarks depending on the user’s location, and customizable postcards, where users could upload their own photos, adding a personal touch.

Along with the postcard, users would receive a daily promotion, like a reduced price on a specific product. This wasn’t just about discounts, though. It was about adding a tangible reward to the game, encouraging users to open the app every day and take advantage of the deals while enjoying the fun, personalized content.

This mechanic plays directly into a behavioral principle called the variable reward system. When you scroll through your news feed, you don’t know what new story or post you’ll see next. This unpredictability is addictive. So, our pizza delivery service made it fun to keep checking in, day after day. The idea wasn’t new, but it was placed in a fresh, unexpected context.

\ And it worked. Over half of the pizza app users joined in, with participation peaking around lunch and after work. Users created and shared more than 1 million postcards, adding a social twist. In total, the campaign drew 880,000 participants across Europe and Asia.

Why It Worked: The Power of Dopamine

Let’s get real. People are wired for rewards, especially when they don’t know exactly what they’re getting. When users opened that app and saw a fresh offer, it wasn’t just about the discount — it was about the dopamine hit that comes with curiosity. That’s something brands like Spotify and TikTok have nailed with their recommendation algorithms. It’s not the certainty of what’s next, but the excitement of discovering it. The advent mechanic we created together tapped into that same feeling.

\ And the best part? The offers felt more like little gifts, not desperate promos. This shifted the perception of value for customers. It wasn’t "buy now," but "here’s something special just for today”.

Building Engagement Isn’t Just for Pizza

Now, I’ve worked with in-app engagement for a long time, and I can tell you this: the mechanic isn’t limited to pizzas or food delivery. Any brand with an app can implement it. For example, I’ve seen fitness apps that give users daily challenges to unlock personalized workouts or nutrition tips. And it works. Why? Because it makes people want to come back, even if they weren’t originally planning to.

\ I once joked with the team that we could put a picture of a puppy behind one of the digital calendar doors, and the next day our daily active users would triple. Who can resist puppies? I never tested it, but if you try, let me know how it goes.

\ Whether you’re running an eCommerce app, a B2B SaaS platform, or even a content-driven site, you can use these tactics. Here’s how:

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• Make it fun: Your engagement tactics don’t need to feel like work. Offer users something they don’t expect.
• Add surprise: Use the variable reward principle. People love surprises. If they don’t know what they’re getting, they’re more likely to come back.
• Keep it light: No one wants to feel spammed or manipulated. Make your gamification subtle and rewarding, not sales-y.
• Build habits: Think fitness apps or loyalty programs. It’s not just about engagement today. It’s about getting your users to come back tomorrow and the day after.

\ What did I learn from this experience? People crave excitement and engagement — not just products. As a marketer, it’s not your job to just “sell” something; it’s about creating an experience that people actually enjoy. The pizza delivery service’s digital advent calendar was a hit because it took something simple and transformed it into a daily delight. And it’s something any company can do.

What We Learned: How to Keep Users Engaged

So, what can you do to make your users look forward to engaging with your brand, even when they don’t need to? You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Just take something familiar, make it fun, and watch as your users turn into daily fans:

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1. Don’t be afraid to experiment

Sometimes the boldest ideas, like launching a summer advent calendar, are the ones that pay off.

2. Try unconventional tactics

Go beyond the usual promos. Interactive tools like skill wheels or daily challenges can keep things fresh.

3. Make it a habit

Use gamification to build routines. Daily rewards give people a reason to keep coming back.

4. Surprise your users

Everyone loves surprises. Small, unexpected rewards keep users engaged and curious.

5. Personal touches matter

Personalization, like custom postcards, adds a unique connection that keeps users interested.

\ And hey, if all else fails, try the puppies. \n